Self reflection
What are my strengths, skills, interests and background?
This workbook has been designed to help you identify your current skills and preferences for jobs. Completing this will provide you with a starting point for thinking about yourself and how you may wish to approach a career development plan.
When undertaking a reflective self assessment, consideration can be given to all aspects of the individual. You may find that you tend to practice what you prefer and become more proficient in your preferred areas. Use the following list as a guide to create a self-inventory of your key attributes.
Self Reflection Workbook (51 KB)
- Skills:
Start with taking a review of the skills you hold, in order to identify your strengths and areas where further development may be needed.
To assist in this process we recommend that you complete the Leadership and Management Inventory for the aspiring manager positions. - Knowledge:
Take time to consider the knowledge you hold. Do you have specialist knowledge within a particular field or industry? Does your knowledge offer you a more generalist perspective in a particular career? - Work Style / Preferences:
Think about the types of roles you have performed in the past. Was there a particular style that suited you more? For example working as a team member in a dynamic group verses an operational group. Would you prefer working independently to others, with minimal direction from a supervisor? Do you prefer a working arrangement with flexible hours or shift work? Does your style of work tend more towards planning or doing tasks? What stage do you prefer to work on projects? Do you prefer outside work or office work? - Interests:
List all the interests you hold. There maybe an interest or hobby that could potentially be the focus of your work. - Personality:
Your personality may influence the way you work independently, with other team members, customers or supervisors. You may prefer the assistance of others, including peers, supervisors or friends. Are you generally a positive person? Do you consider yourself creative or an imaginative? Are you driven by self-motivation or do you need to gain drive from others? Do you show initiative and perseverance for projects? What are your energy levels when undertaking different types of work? - Goals:
Think about the goals you may have set yourself coming into the workforce. Are these still the same? Have you refined them slightly? Is there a shift in where you thought your goals were and where you are now. Do not forget to take into account your personal goals when trying to ascertain your professional goals. - Previous Experience:
Listing and rating how you felt about your experiences may assist you in deciding on the next stage of your career. - Education:
Write down the education you have undertaken. Do not forget to include seminars, training sessions or workshops that you may have participated in. - Lifestyle:
Your lifestyle preference may affect the way in which you work. Does your current role match your lifestyle? Is there a particular job which you feel would match your work and lifestyle? Think about travel, where you can live, time with family, personal philosophies, ie: environmental issues. - Personal Values:
The University has a statement about its vision, mission, values and priorities. This may be important to you. Some people are able to work in a job or organisation where their values do not quite match, others feel this is an important aspect to consider when deciding what they want to do with their career and where they want to work. - Social Experiences:
When making an inventory of your skills, knowledge and experience, do not forget to include any experiences you may have had socially. For example, have you been especially good at organising functions? Have you taken part on a community group board ie: childrens school committee? Is there an aspect of what you do at home that people often admire, ie: home decorating, gardening?
Now that you have completed the self reflection workbook, you have information about yourself that you can use when considering different jobs. Should you chose to work through the Investigating Jobs section, you can then use both booklets together to make comparisons and start to develop a career plan.
You may choose to use this self reflection workbook as an ongoing reference, referring to it as your skills develop and you gain further ideas about the direction you would like to see your career develop.
If you do not know where you want to head with your career, even short term, you are not the first. The list you have developed tells you what you can do and may need to learn, but it may not help you decided what choices are open to you.
If you are unsure of what your main skills are, or just have difficulty imagining alternative jobs/careers, there are a number interventions available.
